Addressing stencil



Dec. 14, 1937. r N. D. LUCKIE 2,101,949

ADDRESSING STENCIL Filed May 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 JOHN DOE cmcmswu. d J0 J0 n no:

CHICAGO, ILL.

amen Won Mummy I Dec. 14-, 1937. N uc 2,101,949

ADDRESSING STENCIL 7 Filed May 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 14, I937 UNETE STTES PATENT oFF1cE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in addressing stencils, and particularly to a device of this character intended and adapted to be used in applying addresses to or printing upon envelopes, postal cards, bills or statements, or in fact upon any items where it may be desired to print or imprint a name and address, or other matter. An object of my invention is to provide a stencil that can be readily inserted in a typewriter or other machine by means of which the stencil is to be cut, which can be readily used in various forms of printing mechanism or apparatus, can be compactly and readily filed away when not in use, and can be quickly and conveniently located when desired for use.

Another purpose of my invention is to so construct the parts that the stencil sheet or member ordinarily receiving the ink for printing is held from contact with adjacent portions to thus prevent damage or injury to the stencil member, and at the same time to guard against smutting, soiling and sticking together of adjacent stencil members as might occur if the ink portion of one stencil be permitted to contact with any part of another stencil member.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stencil member which can be readily filed in an ordinary card cabinet as now constructed, which presents a portion to be clearly visible for ready selection of any desired stencils, and which is so constructed that postal cards or other sheets, strips or members desired to be printed upon can be readily and conveniently placed within a plurality of selected stencil cards and the several cards can then be expeditiously removed as an entirety when the printing operation is to be performed.

A still further object and purpose is to so construct the stencil card supporting structure that this can be inexpensively manufactured and the parts can be expeditiously assembled, while at the same time the completed article presents a durable and unitary structure that under considerable and severe use,

With the above and other objects in view, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, my invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations, arrangements and assemblies of parts which will be hereinafter set forth in connection with the drawings and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of an addressing stencil constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view looking from the forward side and illustrating one manner of use.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking from the rear side of the stencil.

Fig. 4 is a' perspective view showing the parts will stand up of the supporting card structure as they appear before being assembled.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the assembled structure.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken from top to bottom through the addressing stencil.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan view showing the addressing stencil as it is fitted in registering guides of a printing apparatus.

Fig. 8 is a view in fragmentary section showing how the addressing stencil may be fitted in the drawer of a file cabinet or other filing structure.

A body portion, generallyindicated at l, as the parts are perhaps best shown in the assembled relation in Fig. 4, has the front and rear flaps 2 and 3 thereof provided with registering openings 4 and 5 respectively, which openings are of sufficient size to accommodate the stencil sheet or strip 5. This strip or sheet is secured over the opening 4 of the forward flap 2 by meansof an adhesive, or in any other desired manner, and the stencil sheet 6 is of any desired form, construction and material that will permit cutting or formation of letters or other markings desired to be printed. The rear flap 3 is preferably made wider from the fold 1, than the forward flap 2, so that the upper edge of the rear flap extends or projects as a name or identification bearing tab 8, when the two parts of the body portion l are brought flat against each other.

A spacing member 9, folded in a substantially straight line, at 10, along its middle, has thetwo sides H and I2 thereof cut and shaped to-be substantially duplicates. These two portions II and I2 are preferably of substantially the same size as the forward flap or portion 2 of the body member l, and are provided with openings I3 and I4 respectively, preferably slightly larger than the opening 4. The spacing member 9 has at the outer edges of the two sides II and I2 thereof tablike portions l and I6, and the body member I is provided with an elongated slit, slot or opening ii in the middleof the line of the fold l to receive one of these tabs.

The members I and 9 can be made of tag board, bristol board, or any other suitable sheet material, and after the stencil sheet or strip 6 has been assembled over the opening 4 the member 9 is fitted over the upper edge of the forward flap .2 of the body member I with the tab l5 extending through the slot IT. The spacing member 9 is then secured in place upon the forward portion 2, and the tab: portions I5 and it are preferably secured together, such seourement being readily accomplished by means of paste, glue, or any 5 other adhesive or a cementitious material, by stapling through the tabs, or in any other desired or approved manner.

When the parts are assembled, the united tab 7 portions l5 and I6 extendbelow. the lower edge of the body of the addressing stencil to form a convenient guide to fit tab member 18 of a printing device, as illustrated in Fig. 7, to fit a bottom slot or groove I9 provided in a file cabinet drawer 20, or in other filing apparatus or fixtures, as illustrated in Fig. 8, and in fact, this tab is a convenient means for centering, associating, or otherwise locking one or several of the addressing stencils.

While the front portion of the stencil card is made up of three layers of body stock or material, this will be sufiiciently flexible and yielding to permit insertion of the card in a typewriter or other machine by which an address or other matter. can be cut in the stencil, as indicated at 2|, in Fig. 2. Also, the addressing stencil can be readily inserted in a typewriter or other machine toimprint an address, or other matter, as at 22,

upon the index tab 8.

When a plurality of addressing stencils made in accordance with my invention are to be filed or assembled, the index tabs form a convenient reference for such filing or assembly, and subsequently these index tabs serve .to permit ready, convenient and expeditious location of any desired addressing stencil. As illustrated in Fig. 8, a plurality of addressing stencils can be conveniently placed in the drawer of a filing cabinet or other container, and when it is desired to use selected addressing stencils, the index tabs 8 are presented for immediate selection of the desired stencils. If postal cards or other relatively small sheets, strips, or items are to be printed, these can be inserted between the front and back portions of the addressing stencil, and then when all desired addressing stencils have been selected,

these selected stencils, with the post cards therein in position for printing, can be readily extracted and the printing operation is accomplished with greatest facility and without the necessity of separately handling each stencil and each item to be printed upon.

Due to the fact that the several thicknesses of the body material have the openings therethrough to expose the stencil member or strip 6, this strip is readily and conveniently accessible both for cutting the stencil and for printing, but the rim-like thickness of the material on each side of the stencil will positively prevent and guard against contact of the stencil portion 6 of one addressing stencil with any part of an adjacent stencil. The stencil material is perhaps preferably applied on the inner side of the fiap portion 2 of the body i, which. insures two thicknesses of the body material on each side thereof, and at the same time leaves only one thickness of material, namely the fiap portion I I, between the stencil sheet and the postal card or other portion or item to be printed upon.

When a number of addressing stencils have been used to print the addresses therefrom, the

postal cards or other items printed can be readily removed and the addressing stencils can then be conveniently and quickly refiled or reassembled with the other addressing stencils to thus be presented in proper order for future use. As both sides of the stencil sheet portion are protected, it is not necessary to clean excess ink from the stencil sheet, to wait for the ink to dry, or to otherwise delay the refiling of the addressing stencils.

While I have herein shown and described only certain specific embodiments of my invention,

' and have suggested only certain possible modifications or variations in the construction, as-

portion having forward and rear flaps, a stencil strip associated with one fiap of the body portion, and a spacing member having two flaps provided with openings associated on opposite sides with the stencil strip flap to expose said strip through the openings thereof and to present thickness on each side of the strip to normally prevent contact thereof with a fiat surface.

2. An addressing stencil comprising, a body portion folded to provide two flaps one of which has an opening therethrough, said body portion having a slit in the middle portion thereof along the line of the fold, a stencil strip associated with the fiap of the body portion over the opening thereof, and a spacing member also associated with said fiap and provided with a tab portion fitted and projecting through the slit.

3. An addressing stencil comprising, a body portion folded in its middle to provide two flaps one of which is wider than the other to present an exposed identification receiving surface, said flaps being provided with registering openings and the body having a slit in the middle portion thereof along the line of the fold, a stencil sheet associated with one flap of the body portion over the opening thereof, and a spacing member folded its middle portion to form two flaps each having an opening therethrough and each provided with an extending tab, said spacing member being fitted over the free edge of the flap of the body portion having the stencil sheet associated therewith to expose the stencil sheet through the openings thereof and present thickness on each side of the stencil sheet and one of the tabs extending through the slit opening of the oc-dy portion to serve as a centering tab on the lower edge of the assembled addressing stencil.

, l. An'addressing stencil comprising, a body portion having an opening through a part thereof, a stencil strip mounted over said opening, and a folded spacing member provided with registering openings secured oversaid body portion with the folded parts thereof on opposite sides of the body portion and with the openings 00- inciding with the mounting of the stencil strip .folded back flap provided at its outer edge withv a tab portion extending upwardly beyond the' area of the stencil strip to receive on its inner side and show identifying material separated from the stencil carrying portion.

6. An addressing stencil comprising a body portion having front and. rear flaps, said front flap being provided with an opening and the rear fiap being relatively wider to provide an identification receiving tab extending and exposed beyond the front flap, and a stencil sheet carried by the front flap over the opening, the extending portion of the rear fiap being adapted to receive and show identifying index material separated from the stencil portion.

NEIL D. LucxiE. 

